1955 Dodge PU

[mccdaddy]

Pulling my gear box out from the clutch housing and found that my gear shift shaft which is very long has a bolt running through the top about a inch below the pivot joint. It look like some type of plug. How do I get this shaft out so I can drop the gear box?

[Merle Coggins]

You'll have to remove the whole top cover with the shift lever.

[mccdaddy]

Thanks Merle it worked great. Next step for me is the clutch. This looks like I have to pull the motor because the back two mounts are for the housing and motor- any help or ideas?

[MBF]

Is there an inspection cover at the bottom of the bell housing?  If it's like the flatties in the Pilot houses, you can r /r the clutch and t/o bearing by removing the cover and  the clutch yoke on the clutch shaft.  Rotate the clutch shaft to move the t/o bearing fingers to the rear of the bellhousing so you can remove the t/o bearing through the input shaft opening.  From that point on you can remove the clutch plate mounting bolts around the circumference of the clutch plate and the the clutch plate and disk will come out through the bottom of the bell housing.  You may want an extra set of hands to help you lower the assemble out of the bellhousing so that it doesn't just drop out.  You can then remove the flywheel bolts, and then the flywheel to have it resurfaced.

[kart70]

Make sure you wear a respirator.

[mccdaddy]

Thanks all, is there any other idea's or do I have to support the eng. to take the cover off the clutch to have rebuilt? I don't think since its my first one I can do this through the inspection plate.

[NiftyFifty]

I recall there being no way to remove the flywheel without removing the bell housing?? That or it was beyond impossible to get the bolts and nuts out...

[Don Coatney]

4mula-dlx, on 14 Dec 2014 - 7:29 PM, said:

I recall there being no way to remove the flywheel without removing the bell housing?? That or it was beyond impossible to get the bolts and nuts out...

Of the many vehicles I have worked on in my life I do not recall any where the bell housing had to be removed prior to flywheel removal. What does the shop service manual have to say?

[mccdaddy]

It says to remove tran, bell housing, clutch release bearing and assembly then to mark the clutch and fly wheel and remove bolts. In my 55 the bell housing is mounted to the cross member of the frame and holds the back part of the motor, seams like either I have to take the motor out or support it while I take these two bolts out? Maybe the upper bolts will hold the motor and it would be ok-this is what I'm trying to find out? Thanks

[Merle Coggins]

Which engine do you have in your truck? On the Flat head engines the bell housing wraps around behind the flywheel. So you either need to remove the flywheel first of you have to knock out the dowel pins and lift the bell housing up over the flywheel, after removing all bolts. The later is pretty much impossible in chassis.

Again, assuming you are talking about a flat head engine, the bottom pan of the bell housing comes off and you can drop the clutch and flywheel out the bottom with out disturbing the bell housing.

If you have a V8 that may change things.

 

Merle

[Don Coatney]

mccdaddy, on 15 Dec 2014 - 3:46 PM, said:

It says to remove tran, bell housing, clutch release bearing and assembly then to mark the clutch and fly wheel and remove bolts. In my 55 the bell housing is mounted to the cross member of the frame and holds the back part of the motor, seams like either I have to take the motor out or support it while I take these two bolts out? Maybe the upper bolts will hold the motor and it would be ok-this is what I'm trying to find out? Thanks

That is interesting. On all Mopar flathead 6 engines the rear engine mounts are on the bell housing. Are the instructions you posted from the book intended for removal with the engine removed from the vehicle?

[Plymouthy Adams]

What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common?   I know..I KNOW...I know